House of Hohenstaufen

The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings from 1138 to 1254 during the Middle Ages. From 1079, the Hohenstaufen dynasty ruled Swabia, and Hohenstaufens Frederick Barbarossa, Henry VI of Germany, and Frederick II of Germany would become emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. The last Hohenstaufen, Conradin, was executed by Charles of Anjou in 1268 when he attempted to conquer Italy like his uncle Manfred of Sicily, ending the dynasty. However, the Hohenstaufen legacy survived in Italian politics with the "Ghibellines", which took their name from the Hohenstaufen stronghold of Waiblingen; the Ghibellines sought to impose imperial rule over ITaly.